REMODELING CAN TURN CRAMPED SPACES IN HOMES INTO COMFORTABLE SPACES:

In years past, homes had several separate rooms that each had a specific purpose. The kitchen was for preparing meals. Those meals were served in the separate dining room. After the meals, the women would gather in the parlor and the men would retire to the den. Due to space constraints, none of these rooms were particularly large since they only had to serve one purpose.

People don’t live or entertain that way today. In the modern age, rooms are open and flow into each other. Kitchens especially have become the hub of the home. What was once a utilitarian space is now used for entertaining.

A homeowner who entertains wants guests to be able to mix and mingle without having to be separated by walls. And the cook in the kitchen wants to interact with family and guests and not miss out on the fun.

A homeowner whose home is made up of chopped up, little rooms can gain the wide open spaces he or she desires by remodeling. An experienced designer and remodeler can take that separate dining room that never gets used and open it up to the kitchen. They can take the seldom used den and the over used living room and combine the two into a space that can accommodate a crowd and still feel warm and inviting.

“When you have an older home, all those rooms are real compartmentalized,” said Angie Jackson, a project consultant with JEB Design/Build in Shreveport. “We live so differently than we used to.”

Removing interior walls can open spaces up and improve traffic flow through the house. A homeowner who is concerned about removing a load bearing wall will be happy to know that remodelers have several solutions to that problem at the their disposal. Engineered steel beams can be used to provide support where a wall is removed. In situations where a steel beam will not work, arches can be carved into an existing wall. When coupled with decorative support columns, the space feels openand structural integrity is not compromised.

Another benefit to using arches and columns is their ability to define spaces in an open area. A dining are can be set-off, without being secluded, with the use of beautiful support columns. In a large space with several seating areas, decorative columns can accentuate the separate areas without any one area being closed off.

Another way to define space in an open arrangement is the use of flooring. A kitchen, dining area and living area that open into each other can each be floored with a different, yet complementary, material.

Another way to open up a space is by introducing a view to the outdoors and letting in natural light. The right kind of windows can make a room feel open and bright.

“It is like mirrors in a small room,” said David Schudalla, a project consultant withJEB Design/Build. “The more mirrors you have the bigger the room feels. It is the same with windows. If you have one little tiny window in a room it is going to feel really small. But if you have some nice big windows in there it will feel larger.”

Even the dividers on a window can play a part in the way a room looks. If a home has older windows with lots of dividers, replacing those windows with a modern window, with fewer or no dividers, can make a big difference in the way a room feels.

With all the tools at a remodeler’s disposal, there is simply no reason for a homeowner to put up with cramped spaces—spread out and live large.

JEB Design/Build, LLC is a local company that has been in business since 1953. They provide design and remodeling services to the northwest Louisiana area. They are experienced in designing and remodeling to open up spaces in homes.

For more information and examples of local work, contact JEB Design/Build.